Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Duke Energy has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from brokerages, with a 12-month price objective of **$132.25** based on recent ratings from 15 firms.
• The company reported earnings of **$1.25 per share**, which was below analyst expectations, but its quarterly revenue increased **4.7%** year-over-year to **$7.51 billion**.
• Duke Energy recently announced a **quarterly dividend** increase to **$1.065**, reflecting a **3.4% dividend yield** and a payout ratio of **69.27%**.

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $132.25.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on DUK. Barclays upped their price target on Duke Energy from $122.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Scotiabank set a $137.00 price target on Duke Energy and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Duke Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $141.00 to $134.00 in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Duke Energy from $129.00 to $127.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 25th.

Duke Energy Stock Up 1.7%

Duke Energy stock opened at $123.58 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $122.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $119.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market cap of $96.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.44. Duke Energy has a twelve month low of $105.20 and a twelve month high of $127.85.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $7.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.07 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.85% and a net margin of 15.51%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.18 EPS. Duke Energy has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.170-6.420 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Duke Energy will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were given a $1.065 dividend. This represents a $4.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. This is a positive change from Duke Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. Duke Energy's payout ratio is currently 69.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy

In related news, EVP Thomas Preston Jr. Gillespie sold 6,700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.26, for a total value of $832,542.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,422 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,768,397.72. This represents a 12.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Bonnie B. Titone sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.38, for a total value of $248,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 19,608 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,438,843.04. The trade was a 9.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duke Energy

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jackson Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Jackson Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,214 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $398,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the period. Iowa State Bank increased its position in shares of Duke Energy by 86.3% in the 3rd quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 41,024 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $5,077,000 after acquiring an additional 19,002 shares during the period. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 148.9% during the 3rd quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,477 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,297,000 after purchasing an additional 6,268 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Duke Energy by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 21,352 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,642,000 after purchasing an additional 3,163 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Co of the South grew its position in Duke Energy by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Co of the South now owns 7,773 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $962,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the period. 65.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.

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